North Leitrim Network latest news

By | 14th December 2016

Local Homelessness Issues

            Issues of local homelessness were discussed by representatives of voluntary and community organisations at Tuesday night week’s North Leitrim Community Development Network meeting in Manorhamilton’s Bee Park Community Centre.

Concerns were expressed about the welfare of a number of people who are living “rough” in the Manorhamilton area as well as other homeless family problems that have occurred in the past few weeks.

Those attending the meeting were relieved to hear that so far the intervention of the Simon Community, plus some other local organisations, has helped to assist with some of the issues faced by the local homeless.

The meeting felt that emergency accommodation needs to be provided in Manorhamilton to have an available a residential facility where homeless people can be housed for a short period of time until a more permanent solution for them can be organised.

A delegate at the meeting pointed out that the HSE has recently stated it no longer has a role in providing emergency accommodation for the homeless and that the County Council is now the authority appointed by the government to deal with all housing or other accommodation issues.

The North Leitrim Community Development Network hopes to organise a public meeting on local homelessness in the near future in Manorhamilton and will consult with the Simon Community with regard to this.

 

This item appeared in the Leitrim Observer of Sep 7

 

Popular Pat Elected

            At a well attended North Leitrim Community Development Network meeting in the Bee Park Community Centre on Thursday night, North Leitrim Men’s Group popular founder Pat Love from Manorhamilton was elected to contest the Leitrim Public Partnership Network (PPN) seat, as the North Leitrim (Manorhamilton Municipal District) candidate, on the Leitrim Leader Review panel for grant applications.

The Leitrim PPN election for Leitrim Leader Review panel seat will take place in the Rainbow Ballroom Glenfarne on Thursday night, September 29. Rossinver’s Philip Rooney, the North Leitrim Community Development Network Chairman, presided at Thursday night’s meeting.

Concerns were expressed at this meeting regarding the exclusion of the Dromahair area from the recently established Manorhamilton Rural Economic Zone (REDZ).

The Dromahair Area has been included in the Tubbercurry REDZ with which it has little connection. Manorhamilton REDZ includes Blacklion, Dowra, Drumkeerin, Glenfarne, Kiltyclogher, Rossinver and Manorhamilton.

Another North Leitrim Community Development Network meeting will take place in the Bee Park Community Centre on Tuesday night, October 11 at 8pm. All North Leitrim community organisations and groups are requested to send delegates to the next Network meeting.

 

 

This item appeared in the Leitrim Observer of Oct 24

 

New Network Officers Elected

            A number of new North Leitrim Community Development Network officers were elected when the organisation’s recent annual general meeting took place in the Bee Park Community Centre on October 11.

Outgoing Chairman Philip Rooney, Rossinver indicated he was steeping down and the meeting elected Thomas Kelly, Kinlough as the new Network Chairman. Pat Love Manorhamilton was elected the new Vice Chairman and Manorhamilton’s Aoife Keaney as the new Secretary with Mary Margaret Parsons taking over as the new Treasurer and P. J. Leddy Lurganboy, continuing as PRO.

A discussion took place at the meeting on the current traffic situation in the centre of Manorhamilton at the Main Street junction with the N16 and Sráid Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada.

It was reported that recently a pedestrian had suddenly steeped onto zebra crossing on the east side of this junction and two cars travelling into opposite directions collided, as one of the drivers was attempting to avoid hitting the pedestrian.

The meeting felt that traffic lights are urgently needed in the interest of safety for pedestrians and motorists at this junction and agreed the NRA plan to provide traffic lights should proceed as soon as possible.

It was also agreed the positioning of the zebra crossing needed to be further away from the junction than what is currently the situation, with railings erected to prevent pedestrians crossing the road between the junction and the zebra crossings.

The meeting called on Leitrim County Council to purchase some ground and provide off-street parking near the Main Street junction with the N16 and Sráid Sheáin Mhic Dhiarmada, to deal with the loss of current parking spaces in the area when the traffic lights are erected.

The Network also passed a motion calling on all North Leitrim community and voluntary organisations not to facilitate the shutting down of Department of Social Protection run nearby community and voluntary organisation’s community employment schemes when pressure to do so is exerted by Dept officials.

This motion also called on the government to ensure community employment schemes were maintained in each community that is sponsoring such schemes. It was also reported at the Network AGM that a family, as well as individuals, have become homeless recently in Manorhamilton.

It was hoped that the powers that be will take urgent action to deal with the issues that has caused these instances of local homelessness to occur and thus alleviate the problems caused for the people affected.

The next North Leitrim Community Development Network meeting will take place in the Bee Park Community Centre on Tuesday night, November 8 at 8pm. All North Leitrim community and voluntary organisations are invited to send representatives to this meeting.

 

 

This item was in the Leitrim Observer of Aug 29

 

Successful Men’s Shed Meeting

The Bee Park Community Centre hosted a successful Manorhamilton Men’s Shed organisation promoted public meeting on Friday morning when a good attendance of almost twenty men turned out.

Addressing Friday’s meeting, Pat Love explained that the Men’s Shed idea originated in Australia and the North Leitrim Men’s Group under its auspices a number of years ago had established the Men’s Shed organisation in Manorhamilton.

Since its establishment the Men’s Shed has been involved in many projects and other social events like tours e.g. bowling in Bundoran, Ulster American Folk Park trip to Omagh, Donegal Castle trip, Rainbow Ballroom Glenfarne and Seán MacDiarmada House tour.

The North Leitrim Men’s Group Sunday night ‘25’ card drives is another area in which members of the Manorhamilton Men’s Shed have been involved as a social activity. The proceeds from the card drives have helped to provide some funding for materials for projects undertaken by Men’s Shed like the Trojan horse, etc.

Among the suggestions for future projects made by people attending Friday’s meeting were – to build a boat, to produce different designed dog houses, to refurbish pony cart, to design and make local themed fridge magnets, to create an art piece for the 2017 St. Patrick’s Day parade (perhaps similar to the Trojan Horse), to establish a walking club, to produce a yearbook plan, to run an Irish language course and to re-establish Men’s Shed Facebook page.

It was also agreed that the Men’s Shed will review what it might grow in the four poly tunnels that are available to them and put together a new plan for this project.

The meeting also agreed to a proposal of the making of a documentary video in the immediate future on the North Leitrim Men’s Group and the Manorhamilton Men’s Shed.

The Men’s Shed meeting decided to proceed with its plan for visit to Dublin for the Ambassador Cinema 1916 show and the Kilmainham Jail tour. The North Leitrim Men’s Group and Men’s Shed will also provide the annual Christmas Dinner in the Bee Park Community Centre on Sunday, December 25.

Another meeting of the Manorhamilton Men’s Shed will take place in the Bee Park Community Centre in about 10 days time. Anyone requiring further information on the Manorhamilton Men’s Shed should contact Pat Love at the North Leitrim Men’s Group in the Bee Park Community Centre.